Abstract
For much of the Twentieth Century, science fiction was largely viewed as an academic outcast. Even as the body of scholarly criticism surrounding the genre grows, its acceptance as a worthy site for academic research has been slow. This in itself can present a challenge to any researcher, but what is our quest for originality in academic research if it is not a challenge? The possibility of making a valuable contribution to scholarly knowledge is an exciting and inspiring challenge and with this possibility comes the additional excitement of finding an original space. Such a challenge can be exacerbated by the apparent scholarly absence of key science fiction terminology and definitions; terminology that is readily accepted within the lay community. My quest for making an original contribution is, in part, to validate a reading of H.P. Lovecraft as a writer not only of weird fiction, but also of science fiction, thereby opening up the possibility for new perspectives on the cosmic vision innate within his work. Furthermore, my ultimate aim is to develop his philosophy of cosmicism into what I am calling neocosmicism, in the hope of facilitating new directions in thinking about and interpreting not only the body of Lovecraft’s creative output, but also of other writers in science fiction.